Vancouver & Whistler remain TOP destinations, now and for the future.
Business in Vancouver February 10-16, 2009; issue 1007
Vancouver and Whistler win top awards
Industry and readers weigh in
For the sixth consecutive year, readers of influential American travel trade publication Travel Weekly have selected Vancouver as their top Canadian destination.
During its annual Readers Choice Awards, held in New York City in December, Travel Weekly awarded Vancouver the top spot in the Best in Destination: Canada category.
Those who vote in the awards are accredited travel agents who cast their ballots through an open, on-line process. The awards are widely recognized in the industry and are presented annually to travel suppliers who led the way in product and service during the past year. Vancouver has won the top spot each year that the awards have been held.
The award is the latest in a list of honours that Vancouver has received over the years, including being named most liveable city by the Economist Intelligence Unit in August 2007. The Economist Intelligence Unit is a research and advisory firm providing country, industry and management analysis
To add to B.C.’s accolades, Condé Nast Traveler magazine has awarded Whistler the top spot in its annual Best Places to Ski & Stay in North America reader survey in its December 2008 issue.
Magazine readers were asked to evaluate North American ski resorts that they had visited in the past three years and rate each resort. Whistler received the top score on the combined criteria of terrain and conditions, lifts and lines, local ambience, local dining and après-ski/activities.
Whistler also had five of its hotels rate in North America’s top-25 ski hotels in the Condé Nast reader survey: Pan Pacific Whistler Village Centre, Four Seasons Resort & Spa, Hilton Whistler Resort & Spa, Westin Resort & Spa and Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
At the Luxury Travel Awards, announced in December in Australia, Whistler once again won the Gold List 2009 Award for best overseas ski resort and a platinum award for winning this award five years in a row. •
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Comment: So while tourism may be down right now, Vancouver and Whistler remain high on people's priorities to for travel, and possibly buying property here. Hard to say when this upturn will happen, but we can expect the Pacific Northwest to see a steady in-migration from Eastern Canada and around the world for the foreseeable future.
Blair Smith, Downtown Vancouver Condos and Homes For Sale, Direct 604-313-8732